With Cristiano Ronaldo expected to leave Manchester United at the end of the season, two of his teammates are said to be competing to be next to wear his famous No. 7 shirt.
Ronaldo is down to the final season of his two-year contract at Old Trafford, and after he pushed for an exit in the recently concluded transfer window, various reports suggest that the Red Devils will not trigger the option to extend his stay for a further season.
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Manager Erik ten Hag has already shown he is not relying heavily on the Portugal international, having utilised the striker's services sparingly so far in this campaign and opting for the likes of Marcus Rashford, Jadon Sancho, and Antony in attack instead.
According to Manchester Evening News, the latter pair are the main candidates to inherit the five-time Ballon d'Or winner's iconic shirt number if he leave in 2023.
It is reported that the United hierarchy wants the next player who takes up the number to be similar to Ronaldo in terms of marketability and commercial status, with the ideal replacement considered to be someone who is not only talented on the pitch, but an individual who will sell a lot of shirts off it.
It was reported that Sancho initially wanted the jersey upon his €85 million (R1.4 billion) arrival from Borussia Dortmund in July 2021, but at the time, it was occupied by Edinson Cavani, who later gave it up for Ronaldo when the Portugal captain rejoined the club in August last year.
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It remains to be seen who will emerge victorious between the Englishman and Brazil star Antony, with the two players boasting similar qualities on the field of play.
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